Second. His wisdom. He is wise also, as he speaks in derision of men's pretending to be so ; indeed, God is only wise. Now, he hath undertaken to make " all things work together for good to them that love him," Rom. viii. 28 ;— that we shall not be in heaviness unless it be needful, 1 Pet. i. 6. In many dispensations of his providence we are at a loss, — we cannot measure them by that rule. We see not how this state or condition can be good for the church in general, or us in particular. We suppose it would be more for his glory, and our advantage, if things were otherwise disposed. Innumerable are the reasonings of the hearts of the sons of men on this account; we know not the thoughts of our own souls herein, how vile they are. God will have us humble ourselves to his wisdom in all his dispensations, and to captivate our understandings thereunto. So Isa. xl. 27, 28. This is that which our hearts are to rest in, when ready to repine, — there is no end of his understanding; he sees all things, in all their causes, effects, circumstances, — in their utmost reach, tendency, and correspondency. We walk in a shade, and know nothing of what is before us. The day will come when we shall see one thing set against another, and infinite wisdom shining out in them all; that all things were done in number, weight, and measure; that nothing could have been otherwise than it is disposed of, without the abridgment of the glory of God and the good of his church. Yea, I dare say, that there is no saint of God, that is distressed by any dispensation of providence, but that, if he will seriously and impartially consider his own state and condition, the frame of his heart, his temptations, and ways, with so much of the aims and ends of the Lord as will assuredly be discovered to faith and prayer, but he will have some rays and beams of infinite wisdom shining in it, tempered with love, goodness, and faithfulness. But whether for the present we have this light or not, or are left unto darkness, this is the haven and rest of our tossed souls, the ark and bosom of our peace, — to humble our souls to the in- finite wisdom of God in all his procedure; and on that account quietly to commit all things to his management.
US OF WALKING HUMBLY WITH GOD.
Third. His righteousness. Though God will have us acquiesce in his sovereignty, when we can see nothing else, yet he will have us know that all his ways are equal and righteous. The holy God will do no iniquity. That he is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works, is pleaded as much as any thing that he hath discovered of himself: " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Is God unjust who innicteth vengeance ? God forbid. The righteousness of God — all which springeth from, and is reduced to, the universal recti- tude of his nature, in respect of the works that he doth — is manifold. It is that which is called " Justitia regiminis," — his righteousness in rule or government, in the dispensation of rewards and punishments, — that I am speaking of. Now, because we are not able to discern it in many particulars of his proceedings, to help us in humbling our souls unto it, take these considerations: —
First. That God judgeth not as man judgeth. Man judgeth ac- cording to the seeing of the eye, and the hearing of the ear ; but God searcheth the heart. Little do we know what is in the heart of men ; — what transactions there are or have been between God and them, which, if they were drawn forth, as they shall be one day, the right- eousness of God in his procedure would shine as the sun. Rest on this, — we know much less of the matter on the account whereof God judgeth, than we do of the rule whereby he judges. Most things are to him otherwise than to us.
Secondly. God is the great Judge of all the world, — not of this or that particular place ; and so disposeth of all as may tend to the good of the whole, and his glory in the universality of things. Our thoughts are bounded — much more our observation and knowledge — within a very narrow compass. That may seem deformed unto us which, when it lies under an eye that at once hath a prosj)ect of the whole, is full of beauty and order. He that was able to see at once but some one small part of a goodly statue, might think it a deformed piece; when he that sees it altogether is assured of its due proportion and comeliness. All things in all places, of the ages past and to come, lie at once naked before God ; and he disposes of them so as that, in their contexture and answer one to another, they shall be full of order; — which is properly righteousness.
Thirdly. God judges here, not by any final, determinate sentence, but in a way of preparation to a judgment to come. This unties all knots, and solves all difficulties whatever. This makes righteous and beautiful the deepest distresses of the godly, and the highest advance- ments of wicked men. And there let our souls rest themselves in quietness, Acts xvii.